Soccer-Romania to appoint first foreign coach since 1934

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has decided to appoint a foreigner to replace Anghel Iordanescu as the national team’s coach, the ruling body's president said on Sunday.

"(The new coach) will be a foreigner," FRF president Razvan Burleanu told local media, adding that he had held consultations with the heads of other domestic sports federations (rugby and handball) as they recently also hired foreigners as coaches and advisors.

It will be only the second time Romania have appointed a foreign national coach after Austrian Josef Uridil, who led the team at the World Cup in 1934.

Burleanu said he will announce the decision by June 10.

The new coach will have the task of leading Romania to the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. The Tricolours have been drawn in qualifying Group E alongside Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia and Kazakhstan.

The FRF agreed to part ways with 66-year-old Iordanescu after Romania's failure to make it past the European Championship group stages. [L4N19J44X].

They finished bottom in Group A after losing to hosts France and Albania, and drawing with Switzerland.

Romanian media have reported that the new coach will be a German with former VfB Stuttgart, Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt coach Armin Veh and ex-Schalke 04 coach Ralph Rangnick the favourites for the post.